OP doesn't say that it's necessary for this application but HD-SDI isn't HDCP compliant. There are limitations to
SDI and being able to show protected content is one of them.
I assume, but I do not know, that your engineering team specified a quality cable like Belden 7997A for this situation
Nobody has been specifying CAT5e in the last 5 years. If you're doing video, it should be on CAT6A, probably shielded. Some extenders can get by on less in exchange for being limited to shorter distances but CAT5e is all but retired.
Addendum: The reason this loss is a problem for non-network types of signals is error correction. Most
network protocols
monitor packet streams and report lost/bumped packets and request a re-send. I can assure you that nearly all of the inexpensive converters have limited or NO error checking capability. So when your signal goes wonky... pffft, thats all folks.
If you're talking about Monoprice-type converters, yes, but in event production I can't say I know anyone using those types of converters for the reasons you've described. In general video over CATx is HDBaseT, SDVoE, or video over IP. AVB is picking up a little steam for video over IP but so far that's primarily in conference systems. In any of those cases, digital is digital and either the signal makes it successfully to the end of the cable or it doesn't.
Of those, video over IP is the only one that's particularly risky because there is a major difference in quality at $300 encoders than at $1500 encoders due to compression. The high-end encoders are visually indiscernible from using an
HDMI cable and can pass 4K60 over a 1Gb link across a
network switch.
Solve your problems with good engineering practices. It will last longer and be more reliable.
In some cases, maybe. If you're also trying to control the projectors,
network the projectors, want to standardize on a ubiquitous type of cable, and don't want to worry about HDCP issues then CATx extenders or encoders will be more useful to the average theater than
SDI. If you're primarily doing
IMAG and camera feeds, then that's a very different application and
SDI is better for that because the cost of routers/switchers and video mixers with a bunch of inputs is much lower for HD-SDI.
CATx cables are not all the doom and gloom that you suggest so long as you stick with quality hardware and quality cables.
I'm planning an installation with a TripleHead2Go DP edition with two DP to
HDMI adapters + 100' length
HDMI cables going to projectors. The
HDMI cables have a booster built in. Trying to get some clarification before I buy everything.
I wouldn't use
HDMI over this distance with boosters. Boosters are pretty unreliable. You may be able to get something work at a lower res but turn it up to 1080p or 4k and your signal could
drop out. There are hybrid
HDMI cables that have fiber and copper in the same cable. These can be useful for going long distances and will work just as fine at 100' as at 230', but the cables are directional so you have to be careful when you install them. These cables are also not very rugged so you have to be mindful that you aren't going to roach the cable when you put it in by pulling it hard, twisting it, or stepping on it. The cost of these cables is generally in
line with the cost of lower/mid-grade HDBaseT extenders, so I tend to go with extenders instead to avoid the hassles of accidentally killing a fiber hybrid cable. There's a wide range of HDBaseT extenders out there, but generally better quality CAT6 or CAT6A cables will carry the signal further without problems. Check the requirements on any extenders before you buy anything.
My projects tend to be higher grade installations with integrated controls so I use a lot of
Crestron extenders and NVX video over IP
encoder/decoders, but something a little more friendly would be anything from Atlona. More projectors above 5000lm are shipping with HDBaseT built in. If your projectors have this as an option, you really only need to buy an HDBaseT transmitter and some CAT6A cable.
If for some reason you wanted to go with video over IP instead of HDBaseT, don't go with anything less than
Crestron NVX or
AMX SVSI (though with SVSI you need to specifically select a low
latency part # that costs more). There are a lot of products on the market that advertise they can drive you video through a
network switch but compromise on video quality and have long
latency times. If you try to use those for
IMAG you would get nauseous because of how out of sync it would be with the audio. If you go this route, you really should expect to be spending $1200-1300 per
encoder/decoder for a production-quality solution. That said -- for that price tag you are future-proofed for the next 7-8 years because these units support 4K60 and the costs coming down on projectors have just started to make 4K
laser projectors more accessible. If your project is as cut and dry as it sounds though I would stick with an HDBaseT solution rather than go this route.
